Reach Out Mbuya has for the past two years positively impacted on over 8,800 lives of 14–17-year-old adolescents and their primary care givers through developing skills in communication, support and problem solving amongst themselves. Beneficiaries are taken through Gender-based Violence, HIV prevention services and Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) education.
This way, they learn building positive relationships, praising each other, managing emotions, solving problems, saving and budgeting, conflict management and resolution, safety tips, and responding to crises and much more. Many families have embraced it and as a result, there has been harmony, happiness and hope for the future in the households reached.
“Families living in harmony, happiness and hope for the future”
Success story
“I am now a changed man because of ROM’s Integrated Child and Youth Development Activity”-Charles
Charles (not real name) is a Child Living with HIV. He lost his mother when he was still very little and was left to his father’s care, who later shifted the responsibility to Charles’ grandmother. Like many growing by the unstrict hand of a grandmother, he became disobedient and disrespectful. Theft, drug abuse and engagement in sexual abuse of his peers were the order of the day for Charles and he also refused to take his drugs. Charles also dropped of school and because his grandmother was fed up of his behavior, she kicked him out of her home.
Having failed to change his behavior, Charles was rejected wherever he went. His health deteriorated each day and he presented with numerous health conditions.
A short time after, Charles was enrolled in to Integrated Child and Youth Development Activity (ICYD), and a Para social worker was attached to his (Charles’) household. Having assessed the issues at hand, the household was linked to SINOVUYO. At this time, looked very sick and also had TB because he had continuously missed his clinic appointments and had unsuppressed viral load.
To improve their livelihoods and create a behavioral shift, both Charles and his grandmother were enrolled in to SINOVUYO where they were taken through positive parenting sessions. These included bringing joy and happiness to their family as well as handling grievances without using force.
It was not until they completed SINOVUYO sessions that both Charles and his grandmother realized wrong they were and how it affected each of them. At this point, they decided to change for the better.
Charles’ grandmother is so happy about the change in her life. “Positive parenting sessions in SINOVUYO have helped me to understand how to deal with Charles and I can now see the better side of him. I am so thankful to ROM for putting our lives back in order.” She said.
It is good to learn that nowadays, Charles is a changed person: he resumed taking his medication, never misses facility appointments and is virally suppressed. Him and the grandmother are living in harmony. He now helps with house chores, both plan everything together and recently, they started a vegetable stall in their community. The two also joined a Village Saving and Loans Association with which they save.
Charles no longer misses’ appointments at the facility, he is cured of TB and the family is financially better than before. He left all the bad peer groups and is living a responsible life. Theirs is now a happy family.
Charles’ grandmother hopes he will be a great person in the future and she has plans to acquire and land for him. With this, grandma says she will rest in peace when her time comes.
Through saving, Charles has been able to enroll at a mechanics training school and they have also managed to expand the grandmother’s poultry business, save for the bigger plans a head of them.
“I cannot believe I was a waste all this time but I am now putting my life together. I am now a changed and responsible man.” Charles said.
Seeing the two apologize to each other and making life changing promises during one of the sessions was heartwarming, for such an opportunity would never be possible had it not been for ROM’s intervention.
